1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to toy work vehicles for tugging a load-carrying trailer, and more particularly to a sled-type trailer adapted to be hitched onto a toy work vehicle and including a load-indicating meter whereby when the trailer is being tugged by a work vehicle, the meter indicates the magnitude of the load.
2. Status of The Art
The most effective toys in terms of play value and sustained interest on the part of the player are those that simulate real-life activity. Thus a toy vehicle is more attractive to a child if it has the appearance of a familiar full-scale, adult vehicle. The toy vehicle is even more appealing if the vehicle performs and can be operated in a manner comparable to the adult version, for then the child can play-act the role of an adult.
Of particular interest to children are work vehicles having a four-wheel drive and provided with tractor-type wheels, making it possible for the vehicle to pull heavy loads, and to travel over rough terrain and therefore reach difficult sites not accessible to ordinary vehicles. In some cases, such work vehicles are provided with a power take-off device such as a winch to wind or unwind a cable having a load-carrying hook at its end, or a crane to hoist loads. In other cases, the vehicle is provided with a rear hitching element, making it possible to couple the vehicle to a load to be hauled. Thus a work vehicle is impressive to a child, for it is not only capable of traveling over rough terrain as well as ordinary paved roads, but it can also exploit its engine to carry out difficult tasks or to pull heavy loads.
Out copending application Ser. No. 651,714, filed Sept. 18, 1984, whose entirely disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a four-wheel drive toy work vehicle propelled in either direction by a bi-directional d-c motor energized by batteries. In order to emulate the operating controls of a real-life work vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a manual gear shift stick, the toy vehicle is provided with a similar stick which operates a switch connecting the batteries to the d-c motor. In the neutral position of the gear shift stick, the four road wheels of the toy vehicle are disengaged from the d-c motor. In the forward position of the stick, the switch is caused to apply battery power to the motor in a polarity causing forward motion of the toy, and in the reverse position, the polarity of applied power is reversed to cause the vehicle to move in the reverse direction.
In our prior arrangement, the toy work vehicle includes a power take-off device operated by the same d-c motor to turn a wind to wind or unwind a cable hooked to a load or to operate a crane to hoist a load. The concern of the present invention is with a similar work vehicle which does not include a power take-off device but which is provided with a hitching element, making it possible for the vehicle to haul a load-carrying trailer which slides over the ground.
Such sled-type load carriers or trailers are in use on work sites which lack paved roads or where the terrain is not suitable for road wheels. They are pulled by tractors to transport logs and other heavy objects to a pier or other loading terminals for transfer to barges or heavy duty trucks.